Upcoming
events

Purpose Over Prognosis

Surviving Breast Cancer
13 hours ago
3 min read

By Lisa Johnson

I first heard the words “you have breast cancer” in November 2014 while lying in bed praying. As I turned onto my right side, I felt a sudden pain in my breast and asked God, “What is this pain, and where did it come from?” In my spirit, I heard Him say, “You have breast cancer, but fear not, for I am with you.”

Those words echoed in my heart like a broken record as I moved through the holidays carrying thoughts I had not yet shared with anyone. I waited until January to schedule a mammogram, when my new health insurance became active.

By February 2015, the journey had begun, and it moved quickly. A mammogram, ultrasound, and biopsy confirmed my diagnosis: breast cancer, ER/PR-positive, HER2-negative. That single year brought overwhelming change: marital separation, moving, job loss, a mastectomy, reconstruction, chemotherapy that nearly took my life, infections requiring hospitalization, and ultimately a divorce, all while preparing my only child, who also became my caregiver, for his senior year of high school.

I survived by entering what I call “lock and load mode,” pressing forward one step at a time. I trusted God, believing this season was temporary, and I declared with faith, “I am healed. I shall live and not die.”

By the end of that year, treatment was complete, cancer was in remission, I had a new job, and life finally felt stable again. Although I thought I would magically snap back to “normal,” I soon realized I was so wrong. I needed to embrace this new body, new person and found myself grieving the woman I was prior to breast cancer. I faithfully followed my oncology care, took tamoxifen for a few years, and looked forward to my five-year cancer-free milestone.

Then on May 25, 2020, during what I thought would be my victory oncology appointment, everything changed. A lingering cough and abnormal blood work led to scans that confirmed breast cancer had returned, this time as stage 4 metastatic breast cancer, spreading to my lungs and bones. Those words took my breath away. Fear came rushing in, I was faced with my mortality much sooner than I ever thought I would be, but I knew I had a choice. I had to declare yet again, “I shall live and not die!”

Rather than shrinking back in fear, I chose to continue to have faith in God, grab life by the horns and live, now.

Treatment began immediately. After one chemotherapy treatment caused a medical emergency and revealed a single brain tumor, I underwent CyberKnife radiation, noninvasive and successful. Chemotherapy was stopped, and I transitioned to a treatment plan of fulvestrant (Faslodex) injections and ribociclib (Kisqali). That decision changed everything.

Today, I have been boldly living with metastatic breast cancer for five years and grateful to have been NED for about the past three and a half years. I enjoy a great quality of life with manageable side effects, work full-time and feel like myself most days. I am not merely surviving, I am learning, leading, teaching, advocating and truly thriving.

My journey with metastatic breast cancer has become my mission and purpose. I am committed to learning all I can about MBC and using my voice to share my story, encouraging and educating others on what metastatic breast cancer truly is, ensuring its ribbon is recognized, and advocating for stronger resources, better legislation, and increased research funding.

I am not just an MBC patient: I am a peer support and advocate.

I am living proof that purpose is more powerful than prognosis.